And there was a time when every local station had some sort of kids’ program. That’s where I was introduced to the Max Fleischer era of animation. And later in the day, you could count on a classic monster or sci-fi movie.

Thundarr The Barbarian. Sure Ookla The Mok was a cheap ripoff of Chewbacca, but it was about a bizarre world that arises after most of humanity is wiped out. There’s something admirable about a kids’ Saturday morning cartoon being so dark. I remember my cigar-chewing Uncle Vaclav coming into the den and saying to me, “You like this show? Me too.”